Fraternum Geminae
by FidgetGlitterBlossom
Summary: After a tragic ending, Sofia and Cedric have reincarnated together, but it seems fate has conspired to keep them apart once again. Can true love really conquer all? Darkish. Rating may change. I'm going to hell. Care to join?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** D challenged me to write at least an hour a day, even if I couldn't think of anything to write, or what came out was awful, or it had nothing to do with any of my current projects. I upped this challenge, adding the stipulation that if I'm chewing nicotine gum, I have to be writing, which makes it more like 4-5 hours a day. This story is the product of that little experiment. I regret nothing, although I will admit to being so embarrassed that I seriously considered making a new account just to publish it. Oh, well.. here goes. *Blushes to death*

Eta: As is often the case, first chapter is short, subsequent ones are longer.

* * *

 _There's an old legend, dating back from before anyone can remember, that says boy and girl twins are the reincarnated souls of lovers who made a suicide pact or died tragically._

 _I know this so-called 'myth' is true, because I was born with the memories of that past life still intact. The man I love, unfortunately, was not._

 **7 years ago**

"Ce~edric!" Sofia cried out, racing across the waiting area towards her brother. She was in such a rush to get back to him that she didn't see the chair leg sticking out into the walkway, and tripped over it, skidding across the carpet and getting angry red marks across her face and hands. Cedric stared down at his sister as she lay sprawled at his feet, ready to burst into tears at any moment.

"You're okay, so get up." He commanded, poking her arm with his toe. Sofia swallowed hard, fighting the urge to cry as she nodded and sat upright. She reached her little arms up to Cedric, but he skirted past her without another glance.

"Cedric Baldwin" The reception interviewer called out, peering through the doorway. Their mother took the little boy's hand and led him into the other room, ignoring the way he tried to shake free of her grasp. Sofia tried to chase after them, but her father scooped her up with little effort.

"Ceedric!" She wailed, squirming against his chest to get to Cedric. She watched in horror as the door shut, parting her from her beloved brother.

"It's alright, Sofia. They'll be back in a minute." Her father reassured her, producing a juice box from the large backpack her parents always carried. She hesitantly accepted the consolation prize and allowed herself to be placed in a large cushioned chair, though her eyes never left the spot where she'd last seen her twin.

"Sofia really does adore him, doesn't she?" Auntie Miranda mused, chuckling at the display. Her daughter, Amber, snored softly on her lap, unable to stay awake until her own interview.

"It's been that way since the day they were born." Her father answered, patting the small girl's head. "When they were babies, she wouldn't sleep unless we laid them down together." Sofia finished her juice, sucking on the straw until she could hear the telltale sound of air passing through.

"That's because..." She began, wiggling down from her seat until her feet touched ground. "I'm going to marry Ceedric!" She declared happily. The grownups burst into laughter at her statement, and her cheeks flamed with indignation.

"You can't marry your own brother, idiot." Cordelia, their older sister, pointed out, shaking her head. "Besides, to him you're just a pest." Sofia glanced back to the door, thinking about how Cedric always rejected her. Her father was just reprimanding Cordelia for calling Sofia names when she interrupted.

"Shows what you know!" She cried out, trying to hold on to the confidence she felt moments ago. "We were in love before, that's why we were born together!" She marched off across the room and sat on the floor beside the classroom door, drawing her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

"What on earth was that about?" Her older cousin, James, asked her father incredulously.

"Sofia thinks she remembers her past life." Cordelia shot, rolling her eyes in Sofia's direction. "She's always saying crazy stuff like that."

After what felt like an eternity to Sofia, the door opened and Cedric and their mother walked back into the room.

"Good news, Sofia. Cedric was placed in the same classroom as you." She scrambled to her feet and threw her arms around her brother, overjoyed by the announcement.

"L-let go of me!" Cedric insisted, trying to pry her arms off of him.

"I was scared we'd be split up..." Sofia confessed to him, and soon she felt him reluctantly return the embrace.

"Don't be stupid." His voice sounded so serious that it caught her off guard. "I'll never let anyone take you away." He whispered quietly, so only she could hear, his grip on her tightening as he spoke.

"You're hugging me too close!" Sofia wailed, worried he was actually going to squeeze her to death. Cedric let out a sharp breath, releasing her quickly and stepping past like the incident had never happened.


	2. Chapter 2

So this story has a lot of Cedric's POV, just because it's really where the complexity and drama comes in. Sofia's easy to read. She loves Cedric, she's kind of oblivious when it comes to personal space, and she's pretty innocent. But, Cedric, with no memory of their past life together... Well let's just see. ;)

* * *

 **Present Day**

"Cedric! Wake up, we'll be late for our first day." Sofia insisted, shaking her brother's shoulders. _Feels so good. Let me stay like this._ His brain buzzed, lulling him back to sleep. "Cedric!" His eyes shot open as Sofia's hips rocked forward against his lap again, and he stared up in shock at his sister.

"Why are you sitting on me?" He protested, surprising his twin. She glanced down but didn't seem to see any problem with the fact that she was straddling his waist. "Why are you in my room again, for that matter?"

"Oh. That's because we slept together." She beamed down at him happily, stating the answer as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Sofia, don't say things like 'slept together' so casually." He scolded, struggling to an upright position and shoving her off of him. _You're too naive for your own good._ He added mentally as she peered at him in confusion.

He could vaguely remember her sneaking into his bed late last night, spouting some nonsense about pre-first day jitters as she pressed her body against his, entangling their limbs until he could scarcely tell that they were two separate people. He should have sent her back to her own room, but found himself strangely disinclined to do so.

Having her close was sweet misery. Being near her, even though he couldn't explain why, made his chest feel like it might explode. It was the same ever since they were little and she would insist on constantly hugging and kissing him. Because of that, he always pushed her away, even though he knew it hurt her to be ignored.

"Cedric," She laid her head in his lap, gazing up at him, her curly hair fanning out like flames across his legs. When that failed to get his attention, she reached her slender hands out and cupped his face. Cedric's breath caught in his throat as he imagined her creeping slowly upward, closing the distance until their lips met. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force the hallucination away. "We're gonna be late to our first day of middle school." She reminded him again, still maintaining the intimate contact.

"Then go away and let me get dressed." He commanded gruffly, lifting her head, then kicking off the covers and climbing out from underneath her.

He grabbed his sister and dragged her off of his mattress, then waited for her to be on steady footing so he could shove her out the door, slamming it hard behind her. The leg of his pyjama pants caught between the door and the frame, so when he tried to take a step away, he instead fell flat on his face. "It's all your fault!" He growled as he scrambled to open the door just wide enough to free himself.

When he reached the front stoop, he was taken off-guard by the sight of his sister, dressed in her cute new blouse and miniskirt, waiting next to her bike for him to catch up.

"I thought you left by now." He muttered, walking down the steps with every intention of brushing right past her. Sofia shook her head, flashing him a wide grin, the kind that made her brilliant jewel-toned eyes sparkle and her nose crinkle.

"I couldn't let you be late. If we ride double, I think we can still make it on time." She explained happily. Cedric eyed the bike warily. _Ride behind her? That would mean, my hands..._ He glanced down at his hands awkwardly, picturing them wrapped tightly around her narrow waist. His heart thumped against his chest, and he shifted his gaze to her smiling face.

"I don't want to ride with you!" He shouted, spinning around to storm off in the direction of their school. Sofia rode after, keeping her speed at a minimum so she could stay beside him.

"But, you'll be late! You'll get in trouble on your first day." She called out, but he refused to look at her again. She couldn't see him with his cheeks flaming like this, he wouldn't allow it. He had to forget any thoughts of holding her tightly against his chest as they rode through the streets together, and to do that, he needed some space. He couldn't indulge such fantasies, it was indecent.

 _"It's wrong for a brother to think about his sister in that sort of way." James told him when he'd confided in his older cousin over the summer. The boys sat on a beach towel, watching their respective sisters play in the tide pool, the perfect chance for a heart to heart between the male cousins. "I never think of Amber as a girl."_

 _Cedric had known even before James told him, even when they were very small. He couldn't remember a time he'd ever looked at Sofia with a brother's eyes._

"Just go away, Sofia!" He yelled. Sofia's expression filled with pain, then anger. _I always end up hurting her._

"Fine." She spat quietly, pedaling away as fast as she could.

"Psst... Sofia." Sofia was staring at the empty seat next to her, the one she'd reserved for her twin brother, so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even realize her cousin was trying to get her attention. Something poked her in the back of her neck, making the distracted girl jump right out of her skin. She peeked over her shoulder to see Amber still holding out the pencil she'd prodded Sofia with.

"Where's Cedric?" Amber whispered, checking Sofia over with concern. It wasn't that the girl never daydreamed, but she was usually pretty focused in school, so this was unusual.

"He slept in." Sofia hissed quietly, trying not to let on that there was much, much more to it than that.

"That's perfect!" Amber squeaked, forgetting to keep her voice down.

The homeroom teacher, Mr Mervin, glared over in their direction, clearing his throat loudly. Sofia shifted to face the front of the room again, doing her best to look contrite, and he returned to the morning meeting. "You should hurry up and introduce yourself to some boys before he gets here." Amber continued, leaning forward across her desk so only Sofia could hear. Sofia swiveled her neck to see her cousin again, furrowing her brows at the blonde.

"What does that have to do with Cedric being late?" She spat out, not putting one and one together. Amber shook her head in disbelief.

"You really don't get it, do you?" She muttered. Sofia didn't have a chance to push for further explanation, because her brother chose that moment to strut through the door, not bothering to so much as feign remorse for his tardiness.

His eyes scanned the classroom for an empty seat, even though Sofia knew he could see the one beside her. Fortunately, there weren't any other options, so he trudged unenthusiastically in her direction. _You could at least be a little bit happy. We're in the same class, and we get to sit next to each other._ Sofia pouted as he dropped into the wooden seat. She tried to catch his eye, but he stubbornly refused to glance her way.

When the last class was dismissed for the day, Sofia hurried to her locker to gather her belongings, then worked her way back through the crowds until she was outside her homeroom again. She stood on her tiptoes to peek through the window, but Cedric was facing the front of the classroom so she couldn't wave to him.

 _It's only half an hour._ She soothed herself, sliding to a seat on the floor outside. _This way we can go home together._ She dug through her backpack, retrieving her math workbook, pencil, and eraser, then went straight to work, humming as she did her best to solve the problems correctly.

"What are you doing?" Amber asked impatiently, and Sofia followed the sound to find her cousin looming over her, hands placed impatiently on her hips. "Come on, Sofia, a bunch of us are going to the bowling alley together." Without waiting for an answer, Amber bent down and tugged at Sofia's arm, trying to force the smaller girl to her feet.

"I'm waiting for Cedric." Sofia insisted, yanking free from the blonde's grasp. "We're gonna go home together." She said it like she knew for certain, even though she'd decided on her own without asking him. The way he was acting all day made her wonder if he wouldn't refuse. Amber rolled her eyes and swung her long, straight hair behind her.

"You guys are so weird. It must be some kind of twin thing." She grumbled. Sofia suppressed a chuckle. "I don't get it at all."

"You used to be a twin, too." Sofia mumbled under her breath, returning to her work. She'd long ago given up trying to convince people that she could recall that other life. Besides, the memories had faded since she was little, leaving only quick flashes and vague impressions. Still, she knew in her heart that it was the truth.

"Please, Sofia? You'll see each other at home, and it would really mean a lot to me if you came." Sofia sat weighing the options for a few moments, but finally cracked under Amber's continued pestering.

"Fine, but I can't stay too late." She agreed.

The bowling alley was crowded and noisy, but Sofia felt strangely lonely without Cedric there. She was left out as all around her classmates chatted and laughed together. Amber, who had promised Sofia would have a good time, had disappeared with an older boy named Axel a while ago, and didn't seem to be coming back any time soon. The only other person by themselves in the crowd was Hugo, Axel's best friend, though Sofia was sure they were supposed to be related in some way. Something about the way Hugo kept glancing in Sofia's direction made her uncomfortable, so when he approached her to talk, she sputtered out a hastily made up excuse about needing a soda and marched off in the direction of the ancient vending machines. He followed after her, and she willed him to give up and go away as she passed through the archway to the dark wood panelled room.

"Sofia... can I talk to you?" Sofia swallowed hard, not entirely sure why her nerves were so on edge now that they were alone together. "I-I..."

"I forgot my purse, I should run back and grab it." She lied, trying to scoot around him. _When did he get so close?_ He reached out and grabbed her by the wrist, delaying her escape.

"Please, just hear me out." Sofia tried to pull herself free, but his grip was almost painfully tight. "Sofia, I... I like you. I've wanted to tell you for awhile, but you're never alone, so..." He tugged her backwards until she was pinned between him and the vending machines, and she watched in horror as his face inched closer to hers. _No!_ Her heart pounded hard against her chest, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get her voice to cooperate. Finally, she squeezed her eyes shut, mentally begging him to stop.

* * *

Yeah, I'm evil for leaving it there, but like I said, I'm going to hell for the whole story, so...


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note:** I've said it before and I'll say it again: I will never get tired of writing jealous Cedric! I don't know why I love writing it so much, but I really, REALLY do! 3

I'm sure everyone can guess why this is getting posted so late. TBH I wasn't even gonna post today, but blah blah blah, holiday... Oh, and special thanks to Guest LT for turning me on to a song I've never heard before. I was actually listening to it while writing a later chapter.

* * *

Cedric impatiently checked the clock again, stifling a groan when he saw there was still half an hour of detention left. From the corner of his eye, he could see the very top of his sister's face peering through the little window on the classroom door. _I'll just apologize for being the world's biggest jerk. Then we can walk home together like normal._ He had no doubts that she would forgive him, since she never stayed mad at him for very long. Determined to be let out on time, he focused on the problem sheet in front of him, easily finishing the page in very little time.

"You're dismissed." The homeroom teacher informed him at exactly 4pm. Cedric gathered his things, trying not to make it too obvious that he was rushing out to meet Sofia. He opened the classroom door and peered out into the hallway only to find it oddly deserted. _Why didn't she wait for me? We always went home together in primary._ Cedric slid his cellphone out of his pocket, already debating on the best way of asking her where she was without letting her know he was bothered by her disappearing act.

 _-1 new message-_

 _From: Sofia_

 _You seemed like you wanted some time to yourself, so I went bowling with Amber and some friends. Catch up with you later._

 _..._

 _Ok. Movie tonight?_

Cedric hastily typed his reply, but he failed to press send. Instead, he reread her text twice, wondering who else could be with the girls. They'd only been in school for a day, how could she have made 'friends', plural, already. Besides, Amber was a bit boy-crazy for his liking, and he couldn't help but picture Sofia being showered by male attention. He exited the texting app and pressed the phone icon on his home screen, flipping through his recent contacts until he found the one he wanted.

 _Ring, ring, click_

"Hello?" The boy on the other end answered.

"Hey, James, do you know anything about our sisters going bowling today?" Cedric did his best to sound casual. _It's normal for a brother to wonder who his sister is out with, right?_ He wondered. There was a pause in the conversation, with rustling sounds coming from his cousin's end.

"Yeah, Amber invited some kids from her classes, and I invited some from mine. She didn't ask you?" Cedric frowned, fumbling through his pockets for a sharpie he was sure he'd stuffed in there earlier.

"I had detention. Do you know the address?" He questioned, finding his target and using his teeth to yank the cap off. He tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder, preparing to jot down the info on his hand.

"I can do better than that. I'm just finishing up with fencing. Meet me out front and we'll walk over there together." Cedric wanted to refuse the offer. He was in no mood for company, and figured he could make better time on his own. Memories of the way James reacted when he shared just a hint of his secret prevented him from saying anything that might come off as odd, though, so he begrudgingly agreed to meet.

 _He walks so slow. He really isn't worried about leaving Amber alone at all, is he?_ Cedric sulked, discreetly watching James' carefree expression as they navigated their way to the bowling alley. _It's just like he said, my love really is different from a brother's love._

"I'm going ahead!" Cedric called out when their destination came into view. Without waiting for James to respond he broke into a run. _I'm being paranoid, it's probably just Sofia and Amber sitting around being stupid together._ Still, he couldn't shake his anxiety, so he burst through the doors as quickly as possible. Spotting his blonde cousin was a simple matter, but he couldn't find his twin anywhere.

"Where's Sofia?" Cedric shouted to Amber as he approached, surprising the girl into throwing her lime-coloured ball straight into the gutter.

"What?" She blinked up at him in confusion as he halted in front of her, staring down at her with an intensity she'd never seen from the usually withdrawn boy.

"Sofia!" He repeated impatiently. Amber broke from her astonished state long enough to point a finger in the direction Sofia had gone.

"V-vending machines. She went to get a soda." Cedric was already off when she yelled after him. "Don't interfere, she's with a boy."

Cedric's chest ached as he sped across the building. _Damn! I knew it, I have no idea how, but I knew it!_ A boy, someone who could be confessing to Sofia right now, someone who would take her away from him for good. His blood boiled just thinking about it. He tore around the corner, words he'd said to her when they were small ringing in his ears.

"I like you." Cedric didn't hear the rest of what was being said, and he didn't care. His sister was pinned against the vending machine with her eyes squeezed shut, trying with all her might to squirm out of his grasp. She mouthed something, and even without any sound, Cedric knew what she meant. The same single word his brain was screaming as the unknown boy leaned toward her, bringing his lips down to meet hers.

"No!" It escaped in the form of a snarl as Cedric grabbed him from behind, ripping him away from his twin sister and slamming him into the nearest machine. He flipped the shorter middle schooler around to face him, finally recognizing him as a classmate from primary school, and throwing a right hook that easy collided with his cheek. He repeated the action again and again, each impact only heightening his anger towards Hugo for daring to kiss Sofia.

"Cedric! Stop!" Sofia tugged at his arm as he drew it to strike again, dragging him back to his senses. Cedric released the fist that held his rival's uniform shirt, letting him finally drop to the floor. He bent down, not wanting her to hear a message meant just for Hugo.

"Touch Sofia again, and I'll fucking kill you." He whispered. The beaten boy scrambled to his feet and raced out, leaving the twins alone in the room.

"You're okay?" Cedric asked, ignoring the way Sofia flinched as he reached out to her with his bloodied hand. He spun on his heels, intending to leave her alone so she could recover and give himself some time to calm down, but she caught his elbow again.

"You saved me." Cedric nodded, but didn't dare to look at her just yet. If he saw her again before saying what he wanted to, he'd lose his nerve for sure.

"I told you so when we were little, I won't let anyone take you away." He reminded her quietly.

"I was scared." She admitted, her voice trembling. He turned back, wrapping his arms around her, only meaning to comfort the shaking girl. "Cedric, I was so, so scared." She clung to him, and for once he let himself enjoy the sensation of her body pressed against him.

"And he didn't-" He couldn't bring himself to say it, so instead he leaned back and traced her bottom lip with the pad of his clean thumb. Sofia shook her head, blinking back tears from her gorgeous blue eyes. Cedric chuckled with relief, and she stepped back to get a better view of him.

"Why are you laughing?" She pouted up at him, clearly offended.

"I'm just relieved." He shifted his hands down to her hips, then below, lifting her slender legs to wrap them around his waist as he backed her against the soda machine. "Your first kiss belongs to me." He would stop, he promised silently, should she say no, or fight him, or try to get away. He was perfectly capable of stopping this at any time, he lied to himself as he ducked his head, capturing her petal soft lips with his own.

His eyes flew open with pleasant surprise as she began to kiss him back, reaching up and combing her fingers through his shaggy black hair, and he paused just long enough to nip at her bottom lip, coaxing her mouth open so he could kiss her deeper, waiting only briefly before slipping his tongue inside. _She has to feel the same. Otherwise, she would stop me, right?_ No, Sofia was always trying her best to please him. As long as it was what he wanted, she'd never complain no matter how much she hated it. Realizing this, he broke the kiss, lowering her back onto her feet.

"Let's pretend that never happened. Okay?" He panted, bumping her forehead lightly with his own as an excuse to still be touching her in some way.

"You're so mean!" With that, she pushed him out of her way and flew out of the room before he could say anything else. _You're right. I'm the absolute worst._ That didn't keep him from tracing his fingertips across his lips, trying to burn into memory every detail of the sin he'd just committed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** In my head, I've been referring to this as Cedric's 'crisis of conscience' chapter. This was actually written very differently at first, but it felt _too_ melodramatic, and that's saying a lot considering that THIS was the less over the top version.

* * *

The pairs of siblings made their way through the crowded city streets as the sky darkened above them. James and Amber chatted away in the front, while Cedric and Sofia hung back silently.

A drunken lecher wolf-whistled at the girls as they passed a seedy looking dive bar, and Cedric instinctively reached for Sofia's hand, only to have her reject his touch and hurry to catch up to the others. _She hated kissing me that much._ He frowned, staring down at his ignored fingers. He wondered what he expected to happen, that he would kiss her and she'd fall madly in love and then they could somehow... what? Magically become a normal couple. _Fuck, I'm stupid._ He berated himself, shifting his gaze to Sofia's back. The truth was, he hadn't given any thought to what would happen between Sofia and him after the kiss. He'd been acting completely on impulse, and he had no idea how to fix the tangled mess he now found himself in.

"Hey, Cedric. Your parents aren't home, right?" James called as they approached their block, slowing his pace so they could talk. Cedric nodded, still preoccupied with his misery. "Can we come over and watch a movie or something?"

"I... don't think that's a good idea tonight." He mumbled. The last thing he wanted were witnesses to the complete destruction of his relationship with his twin.

"Did something happen?" James lowered his voice to avoid being overheard by the girls. _Yeah, I assaulted my sister in a public place, just minutes after another jerk tried to do the same damn thing._

"Some creep tried to force Sofia to kiss him." Cedric admitted, producing his battered knuckles as evidence. "I think she's pretty freaked out right now." James patted him roughly on the back, letting out a laugh.

"Look at that, you're finally acting like a brother." Cedric glanced at James in disbelief, amazed that someone in his own family could misread a situation so spectacularly. Still, something in his words, no matter how inaccurate they were, struck a chord with Cedric. A 'normal' brother, one who wouldn't reject her because having her close made him long for her, and certainly one who wouldn't behave the way he had tonight... Sofia deserved a brother like that. Maybe, if he could fulfill that role from then on, she would eventually forgive him for kissing her, and they could forget this whole awful night ever happened. He tightened his fists, suddenly overcome with determination. _From now on, I'll only think of Sofia as a sister!_ He vowed to himself.

As they turned onto their block, Amber and James bid them goodbye, walking in one direction as Cedric and Sofia went in the other. Before they reached their empty house, the looming clouds that had been threatening to storm all day opened up, drenching the twins in an instant.

Cedric was the first one through the door, holding it open and urging Sofia to hurry inside. When a flick of the hall light switch failed to produce any results, he realized that their problems didn't end at the front door.

"Should we call Cordy?" Sofia asked, immediately looking to him for guidance. Pulling his phone from his pocket, Cedric frowned and shook his head. "My phone's dead." He grumbled, trying other switches as he cautiously went through the house. Sure enough, none of them worked, either.

"My purse! I left it at the bowling alley." Sofia moaned, curling her fists in frustration.

"Nothing we can do about it now. We'll have to go back after school tomorrow." Cedric pointed out, heading up the stairs. Sofia followed closely behind, clutching the back of his soggy dress shirt. He led them into the bathroom, reaching up to the high shelf over the toilet to bring down some of their mother's fluffy towels. "Come on."

Taking his sister's hand, they continued into his almost pitch black bedroom. He started to towel off her hair for her, but the way she gazed sweetly up at him made him want to kiss her all over again.

"What are you doing?" Sofia demanded when he left her to finish the job herself.

"It's fine. I'm just getting some dry clothes." He explained, rifling through his drawers blindly.

He managed to find shirts for both of them and a pair of boxers for himself. He tossed one shirt to Sofia, who quickly pulled hers off without giving him a chance to look away first. _Normal siblings don't change in front of each other._ He told himself, spinning on his heels. _It's fine. She always does that. No reason for her to see it differently tonight._ He countered. In fact, he reasoned, it would be more telling if she suddenly acted self-consciously around him. He tugged his own shirt over his head and replaced it with the dry one, then changed into the boxers. When he turned around again, he caught Sofia climbing into his bed.

"Go sleep in your own room." He complained, grabbing her around the waist to yank her back down. She stuck her tongue out at him defiantly, dodging under his arms to try again. _That's right, it's just a regular night with my sister, who I am absolutely not in love with._ He dragged Sofia out of the room, then ducked back inside, slamming the door behind him and leaning against it, refusing to leave his post until he heard her footsteps crossing the hallway to her own bedroom.

He had the room to himself for about twenty minutes before the first deafening roar of thunder shook the house. Less than a minute later, the door to his bedroom creaked open, and Sofia tiptoed across the room.

"Go away, Sofia." Cedric growled into his pillow as she snuck into his bed. _Normal siblings do not still share a bed in middle school._ He griped.

"You know I hate thunderstorms." She whimpered, climbing over his body to squeeze into the narrow gap between him and the window. "Cedric, roll over..." She whined, tugging on his arm to try and turn him towards her.

"No." He refused sharply. More thunder, and Sofia squealed with fright.

"Please." She added fearfully, and he complied, rolling onto his other side and wrapping her up in his arms while lifting his top leg to allow hers to slide in between.

 _Normal siblings do not tangle themselves up together in bed whenever their parents are away._ He added this to the growing list in his mind as he coiled himself tightly around her. He had vowed earlier to act like a real brother, and he was already failing miserably in that regard.

"Are you still mad at me?" Cedric whispered.

"Yes." Sofia breathed after an uncomfortable pause.

"For how long?" He asked.

"I don't know, yet." She informed him, though her anger didn't stop her from pressing impossibly closer when the next round of thunder started up.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note:** Extra long chapter today. It was originally 2, but I decided to just go ahead and put them together, since it covers an entire day.

* * *

Sofia and Cedric entered their homeroom together, surprised to find the class in absolute chaos. Nearly every student was gathered around Amber's desk, chatting away instead of sitting in their seats waiting for Mr Mervin to conduct the morning meeting.

"What's going on?" Sofia questioned, inching her way to her desk. Amber shot her a look that made her feel like she'd asked something stupid. The teacher called the classroom to attention, and everyone else scrambled to their seats. Amber scooted her desk slightly, leaning forward to talk to Sofia.

"Hugo's absent today, and I heard that it's because your psycho brother put him in the hospital." She whispered loud enough for Cedric to hear, too, though all he did was glance quickly in their direction before returning his attention to the front of the classroom. Sofia didn't want to respond until she had time to explain things properly, but Amber wasn't about to stop. Instead, she scribbled furiously, then ripped the paper and passed it to Sofia, giving Cedric a dirty glare when he looked their way again.

 _Hugo told Axel that Cedric caught you guys making out and beat him up._ The note read. Sofia turned back to look at her cousin in shock, shaking her head furiously.

"Sofia, would you like to join me after class today?" Mr Mervin paused his announcements to single her out, and Sofia turned to sit properly at her desk.

"Sorry, Sir." She bit out, waiting for him to begin talking again before writing down her response.

 _I'll explain later. That's not true at all._ She held her hand behind her back until she felt Amber take the slip from her fingers.

The sound of more paper tearing came from behind her, and she waited for a signal to get the next message. Amber lightly tapped the back of her neck, and Sofia held out her palm, but before she could deliver it, Cedric deftly reached between them and snatched the paper away, reading it over quickly despite their cousin's attempts to grab it away.

"Mr Mervin." He called out, raising his hand in the air. The teacher acknowledged him, so he continued. "Amber's trying to pass notes." He tattled, ignoring her angry reaction.

"Bring it up here. Let's see what was so important that it couldn't wait until lunch." He instructed sternly, eyeing the blonde pupil.

"All due respect, Sir, it's something that would be embarrassing to another student if you read it." Cedric lied with ease, crumbling the paper.

"Very well. Amber, I'll see you in detention." With that, he moved on to roll call.

"Jerk." Amber hissed at Cedric as he stuffed the note into his bag. He smirked back at her, but kept his mouth shut.

"Sofia-" Amber began to ask if they could push their desks together for lunch, but she was quickly cut off as Cedric pushed his own desk together with his sister's instead.

"Let's eat lunch together, Sofia." He offered casually, stretching his arm across the back of her seat. Sofia grinned up at him, excited that he would offer.

"Really? You never want to eat lunch with me." She replied, practically bouncing in her seat as she opened her lunch box. Cedric glanced over his shoulder at Amber, who was sulking away from her desk to go find someone to eat with. He was sure she'd find another opportunity to get his sister to herself, but for now, he had won.

"What was in that note earlier?" Sofia thought to ask as Cedric unpacked his sandwich. He shrugged, unwrapping the plastic and taking his first bite.

"Can't remember." He told her, talking with his mouth full. Easily convinced, Sofia moved on from the topic.

"Did you read the text from dad? It looks like he's going to be home tonight." She told him, struggling to open her can of Orangina. Cedric nodded, taking it from her hands and popping the tab up for her. "Can I still..." She stopped mid-sentence, feeling her cheeks get hot.

"Still what?" Cedric prodded, but Sofia shook her head.

"I forgot what I was saying." She avoided his gaze by pretending to be fascinated by the ingredients list on her drink. "Are we watching a movie tonight?"

"Sure." He answered, tossing his wrapper back into his lunch box before opening his bag of chips. "What should we watch?"

"I saw Kansen in your queue, that looks interesting. Or we could watch REC again, or-" Cedric scoffed at his sister. "What?" She cried defensively.

"Why do you always pick horror movies? You know you're a total scaredy-cat about them." Sofia broke out in a smile, ducking her head sheepishly.

"I have my reasons..." She mumbled. "Aren't you worried about that rumor?" She added, changing the subject.

"I protected you. I don't care what other people say about it." He replied nonchalantly, catching Sofia's eye and smiling softly at her.

After school, Cedric sat on a bench outside the main gate, waiting for Sofia to arrive. _I'm going to have to tell her. It'll be better if she hears it from me instead of Amber._ Still, he knew it wouldn't be an easy discussion, to say the very least.

"I'm here!" Sofia announced, bounding to a stop in front of him. Cedric forced himself to smile at her greeting, feeling oddly relieved to see her.

"Do you want to stop somewhere, or should we just go get your purse?" He asked, rising to his feet. Sofia chewed her plump bottom lip while thinking it over, drawing his attention to her mouth, which only served to remind him of that kiss. He tore his eyes away, pretending to be extremely interested in a nearby puddle.

"Could we get an ice cream?" Sofia suggested, already taking steps in the direction of the nearest sweet shop. Cedric caught up and walked along side her.

"I feel kind of guilty..." Sofia admitted as they walked.

"About what?" Cedric questioned.

"Well, Amber got in trouble, but I was passing notes, too." She explained, jumping over another small puddle blocking her half of the side walk.

"Yeah, but that was all her idea." He reassured her, still agitated by what he'd read in the note. _I've got to stop confiding in James about that sort of thing._

Sofia's hand reached out, wrapping around his, and he stopped to look down curiously as she intertwined their fingers.

"What are you doing?" He demanded. Sofia shrugged at him, but kept her eyes trained on the sidewalk.

"I just wanted to hold hands. Like when we were little." She stated simply.

"I only did that because you were always wandering off and mom said I had to." He insisted, though it wasn't completely true. Winifred did tell him to hold Sofia's hand sometimes, but there were other times when he risked suffering those aching feelings just for a chance to touch her. "It's not like I wanted to do it, or anything weird like that." Even though he said that, he tightened his grasp before moving again.

"That's ok. It still makes me happy." Sofia brushed off his comment, beaming up at him.

They walked like that until they reached the shop. Cedric recognized some of their classmate through the glass doors as they entered, so he hastily shook free of her grip. If she minded, she didn't say anything to him about it.

"One ube waffle cone and one spumoni in a bowl." Cedric ordered. The shopkeeper set about filling their order, and Cedric leaned against the counter watching his twin flit about from one display case to another. "And a piece of Baklava." He added when the employee returned, since he'd noticed Sofia taking particular interest in the sticky pastry. He caught Sofia's attention, waving her over to take her cone. When his order was finished, Cedric dug through his pockets, forking over the very end of his allowance to fund the trip.

He joined Sofia at the two-top she'd chosen, wordlessly sliding the Baklava into the center and watching as her eyes lit up with excitement.

"How did you know?" She giggled, crinkling her nose up as she smiled at him.

"Please, you were practically drooling over it." Cedric replied before tucking into his ice cream. Sofia stuck her tongue out, then returned to her cone. _I should tell her now, while she's in a good mood._ One look around the crowded dining area and he decided against it.

As they were finishing their ice creams, the bell over the door dinged, and Cedric looked up just in time to see their cousin walk in.

"Cedric, Sofia!" James greeted them, hurrying over to their table. Sofia returned the favor with an enthusiastic hello, but Cedric was too annoyed with being interrupted, even though they weren't discussing anything particularly important, to muster more than a nod in his direction. "Hey, are you guys doing anything?" Cedric wanted to point out that they clearly were, but he didn't get a chance to before Sofia broke in.

"We sort of had plans..." She informed him. Cedric smirked, glad he didn't have to be the one to turn James away.

"Really? What are you up to? I'm kind of bored without Amber pestering me." He told her, emptying his pocket contents onto the table until he found some dosh. Cedric badly wanted to tell him that the plans were for just the two of them, and he should leave, but he kept quiet. Unfortunately, Sofia seemed dumbfounded by the questions, and had taken on a rosy colour to boot.

"We were just gonna watch a movie is all." She shrugged, wiping her mouth and hands with her napkin.

"Great! Let me just get a snack first." James hurried off with his money, leaving Cedric and Sofia alone at the table once again

"If you don't want him to come, you should say so." Cedric grumbled, hoping he could convince her to speak up in his place. She shook her head, avoiding eye contact by staring at the table top.

"I don't mind, really." She whispered. Even though she said that, Cedric couldn't shake the feeling that she was acting strangely. James dragged a chair over from the nearest empty table, plopping down in it and dropping a handful of wrapped candies on the table.

"All I could afford was a few Maltesers." He complained, unwrapping a foil and popping one into his mouth. "Is anyone going to eat that?" He asked while he was still chewing, pointing to the baklava.

"It's for Sofia." Cedric bit out. His sister surprised him by passing the small plate to James.

"I'm not as hungry as I thought." She said it like it was no big deal, but Cedric was sure now that something was bothering her, because her lip gave a slight but telling quiver. "I better use the washroom before we go." She excused herself, abruptly leaving the table, as James finished off his last truffle.

"What's up, you guys have a fight?" James asked, ignoring the fork and instead picking the baklava up with his fingers. "Things seemed a little tense just now." Cedric shook his head at the older boy's lack of perception. _Everything was fine until you came along._

"No, we're good." Cedric kept his eyes trained on the last place he'd seen Sofia as he answered. He knew perfectly well why he was upset, but couldn't for the life of him figure out what was bothering his twin.

"Movie night, movie night!" Sofia sang as the three of them entered the house. On the surface it would seem she'd made a complete recovery, but to Cedric her happiness was clearly forced, and it was making him all the more agitated.

"There's my little princess!" Goody called out, rounding the bend from the kitchen to scoop Sofia up. She hugged their father and gave him the first genuine smile Cedric had seen in the last hour or so as the boys said their hellos. "Did I hear you say something about a movie?" They filled him in on their plans as he set Sofia down, and he went back into the kitchen with promises of 'making real popcorn, instead of that bagged nonsense'. Sofia started to head for the stairs, but Cedric caught her arm.

"There's too many people for the laptop. We should watch in the den." He reminded her quietly.

"Oh, of course. Don't know what I was thinking." She responded with more saccharine before dashing off into the other room.

"What were you guys planning to watch?" James questioned as the boys followed suit.

"A Japanese horror film." James made a face as Cedric spoke.

Sofia was already sitting on one end of the sofa, so Cedric made it a point to sit as far on the opposite end as was possible. He didn't miss the disappointed expression she made, but he couldn't help but keep his distance with James around.

"Let's watch something funny, instead." James countered, claiming both the remote and the seat between the twins. "Look, you have Hot Fuzz queued." He started the movie before anyone agreed.

"It's pretty late. Is it okay if I spend the night here, Uncle Goody?" James asked as the three children sat at the table drinking hot cocoa after the movie ended and dinner was had.

"Course you can. You'll sleep in Ceddy's room." Cedric caught Sofia's attention and rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, but failed to get a response from the worn looking girl.

"Can I be excused?" She asked, standing from the table and heading towards the stairs without an answer.

"What's eating her?" Goody mused as he collected the dinner plates.

"She's been like that all day." James responded, waving a hand in her direction. _Yeah, wonder why._ Cedric kept the sarcastic remark to himself, even though his patience had just about vanished.

Cedric dug out his old sleeping bag and laid it out on the floor in front of his bed for James to sleep in. Climbing up on his mattress, he couldn't shake the hint of loneliness he got from facing the spot Sofia had slept in the last two nights.

"Hot Fuzz was so funny, wasn't it? Remember that part where-" James began, but Cedric had reached his limit.

"I'm really tired. Can we talk about it in the morning?" He cut him off, rolling so he faced away from the empty space.

"Oh, yeah. 'Night Cedric." James replied. Cedric pulled the cord to his nightstand lamp, making the room go dark.

He was only half awake when he felt the bed dip, followed by someone climbing over him.

"What are you doing?" He hissed out, careful to keep his voice down, as he lifted the duvet so she could wriggle under. Sofia claimed her place between him and the window, snuggling up against his side.

"It's fine, no one else is awake." She reassured him, matching his volume. "I couldn't sleep in my room."

"Don't tell me... you're afraid of the bogeyman now, too." Cedric teased, fully earning the silent swat on the shoulder he received. "I couldn't sleep, either." He confessed, turning to drape an arm over her stomach. He was just drifting off when something occurred to him.

"Psst, Sofia... What about the morning? With both James and Dad here, we'll get caught for sure." He observed.

"It's fine. I'll hide under the covers, and you can distract them." Cedric nodded sleepily against the top of her head. He knew it was wrong for her to be there, that they shouldn't be sleeping together at all, and especially when it was so risky, but it really was much easier to fall asleep with her in his arms.

* * *

It's worth mentioning that rumors of Hugo's 'hospitalization' are exaggerated. He went to the ED and got 2 stitches in his cheek, then sulked until his parents called him off from school.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Sorry, Mrshortman, for doing this to a favorite character of yours in yet another chapter, but if it helps, she's kind of just looking out for Sofia in her own special way. If this story was from her POV and not Cedric's, he would come off looking way worse, and she would be practically heroic. It's all about perspective.

Also, Sofia was originally drinking Lucozade, but I rewrote it as just a sports drink. Dunno why I still wanted to point it out, but thought I'd mention it here.

Also, thanks to everyone who has liked and commented, it means so very much to me!

* * *

"A group date?" Sofia repeated what her cousin had just said, grappling with the concept behind the words. Amber nodded eagerly, flashing her a wide grin from across their pushed-together desks.

"That's right. You, me, and Hildy. I met this guy, Des... He goes to that all boys' school across town. Anyways, he'll bring along two people, and we'll all hang out." Amber was so excited that she seemed to completely miss Sofia's total lack of enthusiasm.

"I don't know, Amber..." Sofia nibbled a corner of her sandwich thoughtfully, memories of the incident with Hugo still fresh in her mind. Besides, why should she go on a date with anyone else if she already had someone she wanted to be with.

 _'Let's pretend that never happened. Okay?'_ That's right, it was because Cedric could never return her feelings, and even if he somehow could, she was unsure of where that would leave them. Still, it didn't change the fact that she loved him, and wasn't remotely interested in dating anyone else.

"Geeze, Sofia! I'm not asking you to marry anyone. Just come out and play skeeball, maybe have some ice cream together... You don't have to think of it as a 'date' if you don't want to." Well, when she put it like that it didn't seem so bad. "Pretty please? You'd be doing me a huge favor." Sofia glanced over to where her twin was eating alone, wearing earbuds to block out the noise in the classroom.

"Let me ask Cedric what he thinks." Sofia relented, but Amber scrunched up her face in distaste.

"Why? You don't need your brother's permission to go out, you know." She scoffed at Sofia as she opened her packet of apple slices.

"I know, it's just that..." Sofia paused, not sure of a good way to explain that she was actually hoping he wouldn't want her to go. Instead of trying, she stood and marched over to his desk, yanking out one of his earbuds to get his attention.

"What the hell, Sofia?!" He demanded, grabbing it out of her hand and staring up at her in annoyance. Sofia sucked in a deep breath, steeling herself for the announcement she was about to make, and whatever reaction might follow it.

"Amber invited me on a group date." She explained, mentally willing him to protest. "Today, after school."

"So? That has nothing to do with me." He shrugged, replacing the earbud and staring straight ahead. Sofia stormed back to her desk, feeling her cheeks grow hot. _He could have at least pretended to care_. _Especially after what almost happened last time._

"Well?" Amber prodded, sounding out the word for much longer than was necessary as Sofia dropped back into her seat.

"Okay, I'll go." Sofia answered, trying and failing to unscrew the lid of her sports drink. Amber snatched it from her hands and twisted the top off, then passed it back. _Cedric normally opens them for me._ Sofia pouted, glancing back in his direction as she mumbled a 'thank you' to her cousin.

...

"Papers to the center, then pass them to the front." Mr Mervin announced, signalling that their pop quiz was coming to an end. Sofia finished the last question, then passed her paper to Cedric so he could send it up. Amber poked her in the back of the neck, and she peeked over her shoulder to see what the blonde wanted.

"Hey, James just texted me. He wants to know if we can do movie night at your house after the date." She whispered. Sofia hesitated to answer. She'd been sneaking into Cedric's room every night since the thunderstorm, and so far he was allowing it. The last time James stayed they were nearly caught, and if both of their cousins ended up staying over, which was often the case when they came to the house, he might make her stay in her own room from then on. Sofia was hesitant to agree to any plans that might rob her of that little scrap of connection.

"Sofia and Cedric, come see me after class!" Mr Mervin called out angrily, effectively preventing Sofia from continuing the conversation. Amber quirked an eyebrow at her, but Sofia shook her head, unable to think of anything she could have done wrong.

...

"You got detention?" Amber demanded, much too loudly for Sofia's liking. "For what?"

"Someone drew a rude picture of Mr Mervin on my paper, and I couldn't convince him that it wasn't me." Sofia blurted out, frustration overtaking her. She never got in trouble in school, and the whole thing was extremely upsetting.

"Yeah, I wonder who could have done that..." Amber muttered quietly, glaring at Cedric, who was in the front of the room erasing the blackboard at the request of the teacher.

"What was that?" Sofia asked, busy packing up her things for the day. Amber waved her hand dismissively.

"Is Cedric staying after, too?" She questioned instead of repeating herself. Sofia stopped what she was doing to look at her brother in confusion.

"Yeah, it's really strange. He's normally so good at math, but he only answered one question on the quiz, and it was wrong." Sofia frowned, wondering what was up with him today. _He even tutors me when I'm having trouble._ Amber stared down at Sofia in disbelief as she returned to straightening her desk, then stomped to the front of the classroom, stopping only when she was face-to-face with her other cousin.

"You did this on purpose!" Amber accused him, pointing a perfectly manicured finger in his face. Cedric chuckled, swatting her hand away as he turned his full attention to Amber.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He denied her claim innocently, grinning down at his cousin.

"Right, the boy who always comes first in math fails his quiz, and the class goody-two-shoes gets in trouble. On the same day." Cedric shrugged his shoulders casually, still playing dumb. "And it just happens to be the day Sofia has a date." She pressed.

"I told Sofia, I don't care about-" He began, but Amber was having none of that. She stuck her finger back in his face, narrowing her eyes as she seethed at him.

"You're so full of shit, Cedric! One of these days, Sofia will see it, too!" With that, she stormed out of the classroom, leaving Cedric to consider her words. _Sofia would never suspect me, she trusts me too much._ He tried to reassure himself, stealing a peek in his sister's direction.

"Hey." He said, slipping into the desk beside Sofia's. She peeked over at her brother, who opened his workbook but sat staring at it blankly. With a sigh, she scooted her desk against his.

"You really don't get this?" Sofia queried. Cedric shook his head, doing his best to feign embarrassment. "It's so easy, watch." She scrawled the letters _P.E.M.D.A.S._ at the top of his page, bending across his seat as she went. Cedric took the opportunity to lean forward, closing his eyes and taking a whiff of Sofia's hair while she was distracted. Of course, he knew how to do the questions, this was his best subject, but failing the quiz got him exactly what he wanted, and having her play study buddy was an unexpected bonus.

"What's that stand for?" He wrapped his arm around his twins' shoulder as she sat back in her chair.

"The P is for Parenthesis, so you solve the numbers inside first, and..." Cedric tangled a coil of copper hair around his finger, ignoring her instructions until Sofia playfully whacked his shoulder. "Are you even listening?"

"Look at how long those problems are, it's like sorcery." He complained, discreetly bringing the lock of hair to his lips.

"If it was sorcery, you'd be great at it." Sofia couldn't help but comment, hiding a small smirk.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her odd comment.

"Nothing... What are you doing back there?" She twisted her head to look back at him, yanking her hair free of his hand.

"There was a bug in your hair." He replied coldly, tearing his hand away and pretending to focus on his work. _What am I thinking? And in school, of all places._ He scolded himself. Ever since he had kissed her on impulse, it felt as though a flood gate had opened. Where he was once nearly afraid to touch her, he now found himself unable to keep from coming up with small ways to make contact whenever she was near. _I'm just her brother._ Came a whispered reminder from the back of his mind. "Are you sad... that you didn't get to go on that date?" He was afraid to hear the answer, but needed to know all at the same time.

"No, I was only going as a favor to Amber." Sofia said, leaning over his desk to give him some more pointers. Cedric suppressed a sigh of relief. "So after you do all of the parts in the parenthesis, you go back through P.E.M.D.A.S again. So the next one would be exponents."

"Sofia, you may leave now." Mr Mervin poked his head into the classroom to dismiss her. She looked back and forth between the teacher and her brother.

"Would it be alright if I stayed until he fini-" She began her request, but Cedric placed a hand on her arm and shook his head, stopping her before she could finish asking.

"It's fine. You explained it well enough that I can do the rest without you." He reassured her. _Besides, if you don't leave I'll never get anything done, and we'll be here all night._

"Okay, I'll wait for you outside, then." She promised, fixing her desk before hurrying out of the room. As soon as she was gone, Cedric flew through the remaining problems.

...

Sofia made her way through the deserted halls, coming to the bank of lockers that included her own. Staring at her combination lock, she reached her hand out only to pause before touching it, losing herself in thought. The school day had seemed nearly surreal, and both her twin and her cousin were acting strangely. She's even seen them quarreling over something just before class let out, though she had no idea what the topic might have been. This was not at all how she had envisioned middle school would be. When she'd found out that both of them were going to be in class with her, she was ecstatic, imagining them hanging out together, eating lunch in a group, maybe even studying together, though she knew Amber wasn't much for cracking a book outside of the classroom. Footsteps on the tiled floor distracted her, and she glanced in the direction of the sound, expecting to find Cedric ready to walk home.

"Amber? I figured you'd be on your date by now." Sofia called out in surprise as the blonde approached her locker.

"It was cancelled. We couldn't find another girl to go last minute." Amber fumed, dropping her backpack to the ground with a thud and leaning against the wall. "You know that Cedric sabatoged you, right?" She side-eyed Sofia as she spoke.

"What are you talking about?" Sofia questioned, standing on her tiptoes to reach the top shelf of her locker. She grabbed her heavy science textbook and bent down to stick it in her own backpack.

"Sofia, wake up!" Amber shouted, kicking her bag with a grunt. "The drawing, the fight with Hugo... and that's not even all of it, he-" Before the girls knew what had happened, Cedric was standing between them, shutting Sofia's locker door with a loud, metallic slam.

"Come on, Sofia. We don't have to stay here and listen to this shit." He insisted. Picking up her bag and taking her hand in his, he started to pull her away from their cousin. Amber let out a stream of protests as they retreated down the hall, but he managed to keep Sofia from stopping to acknowledge her.

"That was rude, Cedric." Sofia scolded him while they made their way to the front gate. Cedric paused to look her over, aware that he may have actually gone too far this time.

"I have something I have to tell you, but I'd rather wait until we got home." He confessed, rubbing his thumb idly across the back of her hand.

"Does it have to do with why you were a huge a-hole to Amber just now?" Cedric failed to hold back his laughter at her poor attempt at swearing, and Sofia shot him a dirty look.

"Sorry, I'm sorry, just-" He regained his composure and tugged gently at her, urging her to follow him. "You're much too innocent to cuss, Sofia."

"I'm being serious." She pouted up at him.

"So am I." He paused to let out a deep sigh, training his eyes on the sidewalk. "Yes, it has to do with Amber, and the note from Tuesday, and even sort of with Hugo."

"If I listen to you, you have to apologize to her tomorrow." Sofia compromised. As distasteful as that sounded, Cedric recognized it for the good deal that it was, so he reluctantly agreed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note:** Sorry this took so long. I wrote so many different versions of this chapter, it's insane! The finished version has elements from each of my favorite scraps, along with parts that are unique to it, and I'm pretty satisfied with how it came out. I'm really glad I kept picking at it, even if it took forever...

* * *

Cedric anxiously unlocked the door to their house, aware that in a just a few minutes he would have to make his confession, and unsure if his sister would forgive him after he told her everything. He swung the barrier open and marched inside, leaving Sofia to follow and lock the door behind him.

"Should we have something to eat, or maybe some tea..." He stalled, but she shook her head.

"Not before you keep your promise." She insisted, blocking his way to the kitchen. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, then nodded, continuing up the stairs and into his bedroom. There, he climbed up on the mattress and waited for her to join him. "Well..." She prodded when he didn't start right away.

"Ca-can you not look at me while I'm telling you?" Sofia tapped her lips thoughtfully, then scrambled onto the bed behind him. She braced her back against his, then reached out and took one of his hands in each of hers.

"How's this?" She questioned, leaning her head until it, too, was touching his. Cedric chuckled, shaking his head at her antics, even though it really did make him feel better.

"Amber's been trying to tell you about something that happened a few times in primary, but I really wanted you to hear it from me first." He started, wondering if he really had the courage to see this conversation through to the end. Maybe it would be easier to let Amber tattle on him and just accept the consequences. "The thing with Hugo, it was a little different, since he was trying to force you, but..." Cedric trailed off, finding it difficult to put his confession into words. Sofia squeezed his fingers, and he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, genuinely afraid it would be the last time she would let him be this close to her.

"It's okay. Whatever you want to tell me, I'll listen." She reassured him softly. Taking a deep breath, he tried again.

"Everytime I've thought someone liked you, I did everything I could to scare them away." He blurted out, feeling his cheeks burn with shame. "I pelted one with dodgeballs all through gym period, stole a boy's bike and refused to give it back unless he never talked to you again... I was even the one who started the rumor about you liking girls back in year 5." Once he started admitting to the things he'd done, they just came poured out of him, and he found himself both unwilling and unable to stop himself. _I bet she hates me now_. He hung his head, clinging to her hands like a lifeline while they sat in absolute silence.

"Did you draw that picture on my quiz today?" She thought to ask, recalling what Amber had told her in the hallway earlier.

"Yes." He admitted sheepishly, shifting uncomfortably in his spot on the mattress. He actually felt a bit guilty for that one, since Sofia hated to get into trouble, but she hadn't given him much warning, so he was forced to act on the opportunity when it presented itself instead of planning something less obvious.

"Why?" Sofia whispered after a tortuous pause, asking the one question he couldn't possibly give her an honest explanation for. _No, this is bad enough. I can't tell her how I really feel about her, too. If I did... I would definitely lose her forever._

"Because I'm your brother, and it's my job to protect you." He lied, almost gasping when Sofia broke their contact. "I guess I-I just get carried away sometimes."

"I see..." She muttered simply, suddenly feeling so far away even though she was still right behind him.

"Are you angry?" Cedric asked, too frightened to look behind him and see what kind of expression she was making just yet.

"I-I'm confused. The stuff you did was really not okay." Cedric nodded, then remembered that she couldn't see him.

"I know that." He breathed. Despite what he said earlier, he really wished he could see her, so finally he turned around, snaking his arms under hers and wrapping them around her waist to draw her into his lap. "I know I was wrong, and I know I'm asking a lot, but I want you to forgive me."

"I need some time to think." Sofia replied, tugging free of his grasp and hopping down off of his bed, a move that both surprised and alarmed him, considering she was usually the one pushing him to get close. Cedric watched helplessly as she left the room, then threw himself face down onto his pillow, muffling a frustrated scream.

If she were anyone else, he could just tell her the truth, that he was jealous. That the thought of her with other boys destroyed him because he loved her and wanted her to love him back. But he couldn't say something like that to his sister, what he'd already done was horrible enough.

 _I'm such an idiot!_ He shut his eyes tight, praying that when he opened them again, he would be waking from a terrible dream, that none of this was really happening. When the door to his room quietly squeaked open a while later, he ignored it, afraid to face Sofia again.

A fluttering sound from above his head distracted him from his misery, and he opened his eyes to see dozens of papers and photos raining down on his bed, all coming from a bin his sister held upside down over him, standing on her tiptoes to reach so high.

"What are you doing?" He demanded, completely confused by her strange actions. She tossed the empty bin aside, grabbing a crayon drawing that had landed on his chest and holding it up for his inspection.

"See this? This is a picture you drew for me in nursery. That's you, and that's me-" She paused to point to two poorly drawn blob people, "and we're having a picnic." She reached out and grabbed a photo from next to his head, holding this up, too. In it, the two of them were standing in the yard with their bikes, grinning like Cheshire cats.

"This is the day dad took our training wheels off, I fell and skinned my knee, but you told me I had to get back on or you'd tell everyone I was a 'fraidy-cat, so I did, and we rode down to the stop sign and back together." She dug through some papers by his feet until she found what she was looking for. "This is the Christmas card from the year you gave me that awful green dress as a present."

"Mom picked that dress." Cedric defended himself. "What are you getting at, Sofia?" She carefully collected the mementos, piling them back into the box before scooting back onto the mattress beside him.

"This is the box I keep all my most precious things in." She told him, patting the side of it. "You know what isn't in here?" Cedric sat up, shaking his head to answer her question.

"The glow bracelet Jun gave me in second form, the letter from Luke that came in the mail over last summer, anything from any of the boys that have ever showed me the slightest bit of attention. Cedric, you matter the most to me!" He tugged her to him again and laid them both down.

"I won't do anything like that again." He whispered, peeking down at her satisfied face. "Unless they're actually being pushy, of course."

"Then I forgive you... after you apologize to Amber." Sofia snuggled against him, and before he knew it, both he and his sister had drifted off to sleep.

The doorbell rang, interrupting Cedric's pleasant nap with its incessant buzzing. At first, he planned to let Sofia handle it, but when the noise continued unanswered, he climbed out of bed and trudged into the hallway, taking one last longing look towards the bed he'd been sharing with Sofia before slowly descending the handful of stairs that led to the main floor of the house. As he made his way past the vacant living room and kitchen, heading to the front door, it dawned on him how very empty this part of the house always seemed.

With their parents gone more often than not, and their older sister a ten minute drive across town, he and Sofia were usually the only ones in the house, and they spent almost all of the time they were home upstairs in his room. He let out a small groan before sweeping the white gauzy curtain aside to peek through the windowed top half of the door. Standing outside were James and Amber, with the former just raising his finger to the doorbell to try again until he spotted Cedric peeking out and waved at him, instead.

Cedric turned the deadbolt and slid the chain of the lock at the top of the door, yanking it open to let them inside, though what he really wanted to do was run back upstairs and hide under his covers until they took the hint and went home.

"Hey guys, what's up?" He inquired, remembering to force a smile as they entered the house. His eyes locked with Amber's for a moment, and it was impossible to miss the venom in her stare. _I see, so this is about earlier._

"I texted you, but you didn't answer." James began, marching past to disappear into the kitchen, where he began to raid the already pitiful stock of food in the fridge. "I thought we could hang out tonight." It wasn't an unusual request for a Friday night, and not so long ago it would go without saying that the four of them would be spending the entire weekend together. Everything had changed so suddenly with the end of the summer and middle school starting up, and even Cedric found himself a bit nostalgic for a time when they were all closer, save for his self-imposed distance from Sofia.

He reached into the cupboard, pulling down glasses for the soda James had set on the counter, and bracing himself for the part where one or the other of his cousins would launch into the verbal assault he knew must be coming after his showdown with Amber earlier, but James seemed oblivious, and if she was planning to give him an earful, she seemed to be biding her time.

"I'll go tell Sofia you're here." Cedric offered, though he disliked the idea of dragging her out of bed. "I already told her everything." He whispered as he passed Amber. She opened her mouth to reply, but he was already on the steps again, taking them two at a time.

"Sofia?" He knocked lightly on the door, but when no response came, he turned the handle and went in. She was still fast asleep on top of his covers, and he eased himself onto the mattress beside her, taking the opportunity to memorize her sweet sleeping face even though he'd seen it millions of times before. She let out a steady breath that drew him in, and even though his intention had merely been to shake his sister awake, he inched his face closer to hers until their lips were touching, cursing himself for his actions even while he was in the middle of carrying them out.

Her lips were warm and soft, inviting him all the more as he deepened the kiss as much as he dared to. As he was pulling back, she drew in a shuttering breath, fluttering her eyes open to stare up at him in shock.

"Did you just... kiss me?" She whispered, bringing her fingers to her lips. He knew from the way she looked at him that he'd been caught, but he wasn't about to admit defeat so easily.

"Of course not." He lied, scooting away from her with as much false shock as he could muster. "I told you, that time was a mistake. I wouldn't do it again."

"But I could swear that-" She started to protest, sitting up in the bed and blinking rapidly in confusion.

"What kind of weird things were you dreaming?" Cedric stood, avoiding her gaze as he hurried towards the door. "James and Amber are downstairs, so hurry up and come down." He instructed calmly before leaving the room. Closing the door behind him and leaning against it, Cedric squeezed his eyes shut, biting back the temptation to shout every cussword he knew. _I'm such an idiot!_

It took a few minutes of deep breathing before his heart rate slowed to normal, and he felt he could face everyone without acting strangely.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note:** Man, I've been holding back on posting this chapter since the day after the last one went up, and it was hard! Parts written like *this* are lines from the songs. There's 3 different songs, the idea being that the CD is just playing from the song Cedric started with, more or less unnoticed, in the background while they're talking.

* * *

' _Because I'm your brother.'_

Sofia knew it was the only answer he could have possibly given, and that it was foolish of her to entertain, if only for a fleeting second, ideas that his actions might have been motivated by anything other than a brother's protectiveness. But, oh, she had dared to hope, in that eternal moment between her question and his crushing response, and in doing so, she set herself up for nothing but heartbreak.

She swung her legs over the side of Cedric's bed, running her fingertips across the part of her lips that still buzzed with misplaced excitement. That too, had been mere fantasy, and worse, she'd admitted her dreams to the one person who should never know about them. _It felt so real..._ She pressed firmly against the spot, trying to recreate the sensation of his kiss, but it was already too late.

With a disappointed sigh, she hopped down from the mattress, padding across the floor to smooth her curls, disheveled from the afternoon nap, in front of the full length mirror that hung behind Cedric's door. _Will it be strange that I'm still wearing my uniform this late?_ Sofia wondered, turning to different angles so she could examine herself in the outfit, trying to imagine herself through Cedric's eyes.

A soft creak behind the door caught her attention, and she wrapped her hand around the knob to open it, but stalled. _I accused him..._ She hadn't meant it that way, of course, but it was clear from how he reacted. He wanted to forget the kiss, the real one, had ever happened, and here she was asking if he'd done it again. _If I say sorry, I'll just be bringing it up even more._ She tried to recall if things were so confusing in that other life, but couldn't be sure one way or the other. She had to face him eventually, and Amber and James were expecting her, too, so she took a deep breath to calm her nerves and threw open the door.

Disappointment and relief warred inside her when she found nothing but an empty hallway waiting on the other side. The sound of animated chatter downstairs beckoned her onward, and she followed. Everyone was gathered in the den, Amber curled up in the easy chair that was off-limits whenever Goody was home, James pacing the floor, regaling everyone with tales of his fencing practices, and Cedric on the very edge of the sofa with his laptop precariously perched on his knee.

Sofia wanted so badly to claim the spot beside him, but her embarrassment prevented her from doing so, so she took a seat on the opposite end, instead. Cedric glanced up as the cushion sank beneath her weight, gesturing her over with his hand.

"Sofia, come look at this." Whether he was intentionally giving her an excuse to get closer, she wasn't sure, but she seized the opportunity all the same, scooting across the middle seat until her thigh bumped his and peeking over his shoulder at the screen. "Isn't this one you wanted to see?"

She skimmed the article he was showing her, detailing the new streaming options for the month. The movie in question was a remake, which she normally wouldn't have any interest in, but it starred an actor she admired.

"Sweeney Todd's as old as we are!" She protested when she came to the end. "Why would there be a fee on a movie that old?"

"Got any allowance left?" Cedric asked, shutting the laptop and setting it aside. Sofia shook her head sadly.

"No, I used the last of it at the..." She stopped quickly, catching herself about to remind him once more of the incident at the bowling alley. "I used it." She mumbled, fiddling with the hem of her pleated skirt to distract herself.

"Me, too. I'll text dad. Maybe he'll say we can-" Cedric began, shifting his weight to retrieve his phone from his pocket.

"Now that everyone's here..." James broke in, coming over to hand Sofia a glass of soda. "We're going to have a toast!" He held out his own glass, waiting for someone to take him up on the offer.

"To what?" Cedric questioned, raising an eyebrow at their cousin, though he picked his own drink up from the end table.

"To the best thing in the whole world, of course: Love!" James announced. "Hildy agreed to be my girlfriend today, and Amber somehow convinced a boy to go out with her." Sofia half-heartedly clicked her glass against her cousin's, but Cedric scoffed, setting his soda down faster than he'd picked it up in the first place.

"Getting a date isn't the same as being in love." He stood from the sofa and marched toward the doorway. "I'm going to my room. When you're done with this lovey-dovey crap, let me know." With that, he disappeared.

"Touchy!" Amber mocked, rolling her eyes at the sound of Cedric stomping up the steps.

"I guess it's because he doesn't have a girlfriend, yet." James shrugged, downing his soda.

"That's his choice. Plenty of girls at school think he's cute. Poor Cleo was practically crying when he shot down her confession the other day." Sofia listened closely, feeling her cheeks burn as Amber spoke. Other girls liked Cedric, her Cedric? Someone had even confessed... _Why didn't I know any of this?_ The way he reacted to the toast, it must be because he wanted a girlfriend. Panic rising in her chest, Sofia rose from the sofa.

"Don't tell me you're going to go pout, too? I can always get you another date. With one of Desmond's friends, or..." Sofia was out of the room before Amber could finish her sentence.

She could hear the muffled strains of Cedric's favourite Mountain Goats song before she was even up the stairs. Steeling herself, she raised a hand and knocked loudly enough to be heard over the blaring music.

 _*I hope it stays dark forever, I hope the worst isn't over.*_

"Go away, Sofia!" Ignoring him, she opened the door and went in. It was only once she was face to face with her twin when it dawned on her that she had no clue what she'd come here to say. She had simply needed reassurance, and sought it out in the person she most often received it from.

"I could have been James." She pointed out, awkwardly shifting her weight from one foot to the other, waiting for some invitation to come further into the room. Cedric gave her a look of reproach, but patted the mattress beside him.

"No, James wouldn't come up so fast." He flopped back on the mattress as she joined him, resting the back of his head in his palms. "You don't need to check on me, I'm fine."

"You stormed out, and you're playing your 'moping' music. Which part of that is you being fine?" She prodded, already sure that he wouldn't answer.

"I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Cedric insisted, avoiding her concerned gaze.

"I thought we weren't keeping secrets from each other anymore?" Sofia pointed out, even though she was still keeping a big secret from her twin.

"Everyone keeps some secrets, that's just life." Sofia pursed her lips, seriously considering this. She drew her legs up, hugging them to her chest.

"I suppose that's true. Still, if something's bothering you, then you can talk to me about it." Cedric reached a hand up, tugging her shoulder until she was laying on her back beside him, and she wondered if he wasn't worried about one of their cousins finding them like that. "You don't have to handle everything by yourself, you know."

"That's what big brothers are for, right?" He mumbled, so quietly that Sofia could barely make out what he was saying.

"You're only seven minutes older than me." _This time._ She added to herself.

"Then maybe you'll understand in seven minutes." Cedric grinned over at her, and she stuck her tongue out at him, relaxing as his mood improved. "Do you want to go back downstairs, yet?" Sofia frowned, trying to work up the courage to talk about what was bothering her before the chance disappeared.

"Let's just stay like this for a minute." _What if those things James and Amber said are true? If he really wants a girlfriend, if he falls in love with someone, I'll lose him forever._

"I have an idea." He took one of her hands in his, resting them on the bed between their bodies as he lazily intertwined their fingers. "Let's kick those guys out and rent your movie." Despite how tempting it sounded, Sofia swatted him on the shoulder with her free hand, shaking her head firmly.

 _*Someone's gonna do something someone else will regret.*_

"That wouldn't be nice." Sofia scolded. "Plus, we're out of money." Cedric nodded, letting go of her and bringing his fingers to his mouth to chew absently at a hangnail. _Just ask him about it._ She tried to persuade herself. _Just say 'Do you wish you had a girlfriend?'_

"Hey, you were right..." Cedric stated, rolling onto his side and propping himself up on one elbow. "I did kiss you earlier."

 _*Something here will eventually have to explode, have to explode.*_

Sofia's eyes widened in shock and her heart hammered so hard against her ribcage that she was sure Cedric could hear the thumping. As her brain kicked into overdrive, trying to accomplish the basic feat of forming words, Cedric broke into laughter.

"Kidding. I was just joking." He waved his free hand defensively in the air between them. "You looked so serious, it made me want to tease you."

Sofia jumped down from the bed and tried to storm off, but Cedric quickly sat up and grabbed her wrist.

"Are you... disappointed?" The smirk on his face irritated her as much as his careless taunting. She didn't think first. Her body moved of its own accord as she spun around and slapped him across the cheek, striking so hard that her hand stung from the impact.

"You're nothing but a bully!" She shouted, breaking free of his grip and running out of the room before he could react.

 _*What will I do when I don't have you, to hold onto in the dark?*_


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's note:** Sometimes, I just can't sit on a chapter until it's time to update. This is one of those times... And since this chapter starts directly where the last one left off, and the radio is still on, song lyrics are once again written *like this*.

* * *

 _*What will I do when I don't have you, when I finally get what I deserve?*_

Cedric sat in stunned silence on the bed, rubbing his injured cheek as he stared at the door Sofia had run out of just a minute ago. "Serves me right." He muttered out loud, even though there was no one around to hear it.

 _I wanted to tell her._ He wanted her to know the truth, about the kiss, about his feelings, everything. She was the one who said they shouldn't keep secrets from each other, and the idea of not having to hide from her anymore proved incredibly tempting. But when she stared at him wide-eyed, too appalled with his confession to even muster a response, he lost his nerve, forcing a smile and inventing a lame excuse about it being a joke.

To make matters worse, when his cover story seemed to make things worse instead of better, he actually convinved himself that maybe, just maybe, he'd misread his sister, and she'd wanted the kiss to be real. _Stupid. How could I even think that?_ He flopped back down on the mattress, groaning in frustration.

 _*Yeah, sing for the damage we've done, and the worse things that we'll do.*_

Cedric hurled a pillow at his stereo, knocking it off the dresser, and the room went deathly silent.

"Shit!" He seethed, pressing his palms to his eyes as a bitter laugh escaped him. _I really do ruin everything._

Sofia would forgive him, though. He was sure of it. When it was time to go to sleep, she'd come sneaking into his bed, and all would be forgiven, just like every other time he pissed her off. _She's never been mad enough to hit me before, though._

Outside, thunder rumbled as a storm threatened to break, and Cedric flipped around in time to see the first fat rain drops beginning to hit his window. _Sofia hates thunderstorms._ She'd said something really weird about it once, that they reminded her of death, or... He couldn't recall exactly what, because they were pretty little at the time, and she used to say a lot of things that didn't make any sense. _She'll come back because she's scared, and I'll make her feel better. No way she won't forgive me, then._

When a few more minutes of rain passed without his twin returning, Cedric climbed out of bed. _I'll bet she's standing in the hall, being stubborn_. She wasn't there, either, so he trudged down the stairs and went back into the den. The glares he got from his cousins could level an entire skyline, but what stood out most was the person who was absent from the room.

"Have you guys seen Sofia?" He ventured, trying to ignore the hostile atmosphere. _How much did she tell them?_

"She went out a while ago." James answered, returning to the workbook in his lap. Amber's eyes never left Cedric as he processed this information.

"But it's raining..." He mumbled weakly, scratching the back of his head in irritation when his words went unnoticed. "Where-?"

"She was pretty upset about something, maybe you should just leave her alone." Amber insisted. Cedric suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at the blonde, instead retrieving an umbrella from the stand next to the front door and running out into the storm.

"Sofia!" He tried to yell her name, but between the sound of the rain pounding against the pavement, and the way the wind whipped the word back into his face, he wasn't sure there was any way she could hear him even if she was nearby.

He tried the school, the ice cream shop, everywhere he could possibly think of. Ready to give up, he headed in the direction of their home, passing a park where their mother used to bring them when they were little, before she took a job with their father's firm and was gone all the time.

There, he caught a glimpse of his sister, in her soaking wet school uniform, sitting on the swings staring glumly off into space.

"You'll catch a cold if you sit out in the rain like that." He grumbled, coming up behind her and curling his hands around the chains. Sofia glanced back at him, but didn't respond. "I used to push you on this swing, remember?"

He placed his feet on the sides of the seat, using his body weight to propel the swing forward. Surprised by the sudden movement, Sofia reached up and held on tight to keep from falling, tucking her legs up so they wouldn't drag on the ground. As they swung backwards, Cedric leaned forward and peeked down at her, watching as she tried to stifle a soft smile.

"Only because I begged you, and even then mom had to make you do it." She griped while he leaned as far back as he could without falling, sending them high in the air ahead. "You're going too high! Stop!"

"No." He replied simply, pressing his weight to the front again. "If I stop, you'll run away again. This way, you have to stay here with me." Sofia shook her head, signalling that she wouldn't try to run off, but he kept going, using his whole body to steer the swing to dizzying heights while Sofia squeaked out protests.

"I'm still mad at you!" Cedric nodded, not surprised in the least.

"I don't know what you want from me." He admitted. She didn't give him any answer, and he frowned down at the back of her head. "Sofia, look up."

She arched her back, turning her face up to him, and he bent down, bringing his mouth just a breath away from hers. The swing lurched from the sudden movement and his fingers slipped on the wet chains, the force of his body flying forward knocking Sofia loose, too. They both landed roughly in the pit of soggy wood chips below.

"Shit. I really thought that would work." Beside him, Sofia burst out into laughter, and Cedric found it infectious, joining in despite his wounded pride.

"That was so awkward!" Sofia hiccuped, clutching her stomach. Cedric flipped over onto his back, closing his eyes to keep the pouring rain out. _Once you're already this wet, it doesn't seem so bad._ "You're seriously uncool."

"Hey... Weren't you scared?" He questioned, stretching out his arm so Sofia could rest her head on his shoulder.

"It wasn't that bad. I hurt my knee a little, though." Cedric squeezed her arm as she settled against him.

"I meant the thunder." He explained, peering down at her curiously. It was so unlike her to be this calm during a storm, after all.

"You know, I was, but I totally forgot about it when you found me. Isn't that weird?" She turned towards him, waiting for his answer, but he ducked his head to quickly capture her lips. "What was that for?" She pressed her finger to the spot when he pulled away, and Cedric grinned to himself, dropping his head back down on the mulch.

"So you don't have to keep wondering if I did or didn't." He offered, shrugging slightly. "Are we okay, now?" Sofia buried her face into his chest, sighing against him.

"Yeah, we're okay." She agreed, and a wave of relief flooded over him.

"Good. I was afraid you were gonna slap me again." He joked it off, but the possibility had actually crossed his mind.

"I'm sorry about that." She whispered, pouting up at him. Cedric waved the apology away. _I'm the one who should be saying sorry._

"Don't be. I was being a dick." He conceded. He was dying to kiss her again, to keep doing so until their lips were bruised and swollen from the contact, and they were left gasping for air, but decided it was better not to push his luck.

Cedric nudged her up so they could get home, but after a few steps it became clear that she was understating her injury.

"Come on." He insisted, crouching down in front of her. "I'll carry you back. You can hold the umbrella."

"You'll drop me." He shot her a pained look, but still she hesitated.

"I will not, just trust me."

...

"Think Amber and James are still here?" Sofia queried as they approached their front walk. Cedric eyed the house, tempted to find some excuse not to go in.

"Knowing those guys? Definitely." They reached the door, and he let go of her right leg, forcing her to cling tightly to his neck to keep from falling, so he could try the handle. The door swung open, and Sofia ducked to avoid hitting her head as they crossed the threshold.

"You can let me down, now." Sofia squeaked, maintaining a death grip on him as he kicked his shoes off in the entryway. Cedric ignored her, carrying her up the stairs and depositing her next to the door to the wash room.

"Here, take the first bath, and I'll go see if anyone's home." As Sofia vanished into the next room, Cedric took the steps to the first floor two at a time, anxious to find out whether or not they were alone. He came skidding to a halt at the bottom when he spotted Amber leaning against the doorway to the den, arms crossed and staring daggers at him.

"I guess you two are getting along again." The contempt in the statement was palpable, and Cedric decided he'd had more than enough of her attitude towards him lately.

"What is your problem with me?" He demanded, matching her icy stare. "You used to follow me around all the time, telling me how cool I was. You practically worshiped me, for Christ's sake." Her cheeks flamed with indignation as she flipped her long, blonde hair behind her shoulder.

"That was before I knew." _She's lying. She might have a hunch, but she doesn't know anything for sure._ He tried to calm his racing pulse, convinced that she could hear his heart hammering as he closed the distance between them, not wanting James or Sofia to overhear the conversation. "I'm not stupid, Cedric. I saw the two of you, at the bowling alley." She held up her phone, clicking a button to turn on the screen so he could see the proof, an incriminating picture of him and Sofia making out against the vending machine.

"You can't tell anyone about that." He warned her, cringing at the shrill tone his voice took on of it's own accord. "If you show that to anyone, I'll-"

"Don't worry, I haven't. And it'll stay that way, but only if you do one teensy little thing for me." Cedric couldn't believe his ears. His own cousin was trying to blackmail him. He nodded reluctantly, not seeing any better options than to play along with her game, at least temporarily. "You have to accept Cleo's confession and be her boyfriend. Do that, and your dirty little secret is safe forever."

"Tell everyone. See if I care." He bluffed, one final, desperate attempt to dig his way out of the mess he'd created. Amber quirked a thin eyebrow at him, not the least bit deterred by his acting.

"I wonder what Uncle Goody would do if he found out. How far would he go to protect 'daddy's little princess'? I bet he'd send you to live with Cordelia." Amber smirked as Cedric's face fell, partly because he had already considered that as something his father might do if he ever found out about his feelings. "Have you thought about how it would feel? If you were never allowed to see Sofia again? If-"

"I'll do it." Cedric cut her off, hanging his head as he agreed to her terms. _I won't lose Sofia, no matter what._

"Oh, and Cedric... I'm sure it goes without saying, but if you breath a word of this to your sister, the deal is off."


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note:** Okay. This chapter's getting long and is way overdue, so I'm putting it up now. I debated about skipping ahead to Monday and the Cleo thing, but I decided to write out at least some of the weekend. Plus, cute bed scene - always a bonus! :D

* * *

Sofia rolled over, checking on Amber to make sure she was asleep, then slid out of the bed as silently as she could, tiptoeing out of her bedroom and into Cedric's, where she carefully stepped over James to get to his bed. She was starting to climb up when Cedric surprised her, taking her hand and pulling her up.

The crooked grin he wore made her heart flutter, especially because she had expected him to protest this visit, given the circumstances.

"It's okay, right?" She whispered, tilting her head in the direction of their sleeping cousins for emphasis.

"Fuck 'em." Cedric replied quietly. "After everything we've been through today, we earned this." Sofia settled in beside him, closing her eyes and making a small squeak of happiness, wondering at how fiercely he pulled her to his chest. His very bare chest. Her eyes flew open as her cheeks heated at the sight of him.

Sure, she'd seen him with his shirt off, when they went swimming, he was just leaving the bath, or they were changing clothes... times like that. But he always slept with a shirt on, every single time she was in bed with him, and she assumed even when she wasn't.

Stealing a quick glance at his face to be sure he didn't mind, she pressed her palms flat against his skin. Thanks to the length of his dark lashes, she couldn't be sure if he was watching her or even still awake, but it certainly felt like his eyes were on her.

When he made no move to stop her, she trailed her fingers along the contours of his lean body, stopping only when he raised a fist to his mouth, biting his knuckles to keep from laughing when she brushed against a ticklish area.

"Go to sleep, Sofia." He insisted when he recovered, though he dragged her against him again, making the very idea of sleep sound ludicrous as she pressed an ear to him, listening to the pounding of his heart.

"I can't do it." She hissed after a few seconds, jerking her head back to look him in the face. "How am I supposed to sleep like this?" His mouth settled into a deep frown, and he extended an arm behind her head, his hand returning to her view with an old, grey tshirt.

"I didn't mean anything by it. It was just hot in here is all." He lifted himself off the bed, tugging the shirt over the top of his head, but Sofia yanked it back off before he could get his arms in. "What're you-"

"Forget what I said." She mumbled shyly, tossing the shirt behind her. "I don't mind at all."

"Just for tonight, then." He agreed, rolling onto his back. Sofia nodded softly, laying her cheek on his warm skin.

Despite what she said, and how badly she wanted to stay awake to enjoy this rare opportunity, Sofia's eyes fluttered closed almost right away, lulled to sleep by the sound of Cedric's pulse and his deep, even breathing that caused his chest to rise and fall beneath her head.

...

She woke to a sudden flurry of motion that her sleep-addled brain couldn't begin to comprehend. When she opened her eyes, it still looked like they were closed because everything was pitch black. She started to sit up, but something pressed against her head quickly, a silent demand that she stay put.

"Nope, haven't seen her." It was Cedric's voice, and suddenly everything made sense. Biting her lip to suppress a mischievous giggle, she trailed a feathersoft touch along his side, earning a nudge from his leg as he discreetly squirmed away from her fingertip. Amber's response, muffled by Cedric's heavy duvet and likely her distance from the bed, was too quiet for Sofia to make out properly.

"Maybe she went for a walk." He supplied while the fingers of his hand twisted into her curls beneath the blanket. Not ready to be done with her game, Sofia tickled him again, this time behind his bare knee. He gave her hair a slight tug to get her to stop, but she shook her head.

"Look, I don't know, but I have to piss wicked bad, so unless you want to see me naked..." He peeled back the blanket, exposing some of his chest to give the illusion of nudity and forcing Sofia to quit tormenting him long enough to duck in order to stay out of sight. "I suggest you go look for her somewhere else."

The threat must have worked, because soon she heard the door slam shut, and Cedric dove under the blanket with her, removing his hand from her hair to cover her mouth firmly while his other hand dug under her armpit, returning the favor of her earlier pranks on him. She thrashed against his hold as he tickled her relentlessly until she was desperately sucking in air through her nose.

"You almost got us caught." He complained, letting go of her to throw the blanket off. "Don't you worry about it at all? Have you even thought about what dad would do if he knew you slept in here?"

Sofia chewed her lip, trying to imagine Goody's reaction, but she honestly didn't think it was such a big deal. Cedric stared at her in disbelief as she mulled it over.

"I don't really see the problem. We shared a room until Cordy left." She pointed out. She was about to add that they'd only been separated because he begged their parents to move him across the hall, but the sound of feet stomping up the stairs alerted them to Amber's approach, and this time Sofia threw the covers over herself.

"Her phone's on the charger, and her shoes are by the door." Amber called, loudly enough for even Sofia to hear.

"What do you want from me? It's not like I'm in charge of her!" His weight shifted on the mattress and Amber let out a shriek, but Sofia didn't dare to peek out until she heard her cousin run back downstairs.

"What was that?" She questioned, poking her head out curiously. Cedric chuckled, leaning back against his headboard.

"I whipped my pillow at her." He explained, shooting a glare at his bedroom door that gave Sofia the impression that he was more angry with the blonde than he was letting on.

"Okay, Mr I-think-of-everything. How am I supposed to get out if Amber is patrolling the hallway?" Sofia quizzed, wiggling herself upright to sit beside him.

"Good question." He mumbled, looking around them for ideas. "You could climb out the window."

The concept made Sofia incredibly uncomfortable, but luckily she had a very good reason not to do it.

"The whole neighborhood would see my underpants." She argued, lifting the blanket the rest of the way up to demonstrate that she was only wearing one of his old band tshirts. Cedric frowned down at her, and she briefly believed she had won without giving away her real reason.

"Borrow a pair of my jeans, then." He nudged her toward the edge of the bed for emphasis, but she shook her head.

"They'll be too big." Cedric rolled his eyes, gesturing to his dresser persistently.

"Then wear a belt, Sofia." He argued, leaving her without anymore excuses.

"I'm not climbing out! I'd-" She trailed off as details of a memory she hadn't thought about in a very long time resurfaced. Her brother studied her with concern as she shuddered hard, reaching out to comfort her. He drew back when she flinched away from his touch, making her regret the completely involuntary response.

"I'll find some way to distract her. Just... Get dressed and go out the back." He conceded, kicking the blankets off of him and jumping down to get dressed.

Sofia watched him, wishing she could find a good way to explain the way she'd reacted so he wouldn't be so upset by it, but anything she came up with would sound crazy, so she stayed quiet as he yanked his clothes on without so much as a glance in her direction.

After he left, she stood and waited by the door, straining to listen to the conversation downstairs. When she was sure Cedric had succeeded in leading Amber to the den, she tiptoed across the hallway to her own room and quickly traded her twin's shirt for a simple sundress. With her shoes waiting by the front door, where she couldn't possibly reach them, she was stuck wearing an old pair of flip-flops she'd been meaning to throw away but luckily hadn't yet. She paused to check the mirror on top of he dresser, then threw her unbrushed hair into a ponytail.

Checking the hallway to make sure the coast was still clear, she made a mad dash for the seldom used back staircase, the one that led to the creepy cellar if you continued past the landing to the back door. _There's always a backdoor._ She almost giggled to herself, quoting a character from one of the shows she and Cedric liked to watch together. Minutes later she waltzed through her front door as if she were just coming back from a late morning walk around the neighborhood.

"Where have you _been_?" Amber demanded, racing to the door the minute it opened. Sofia did her best to shrug casually, breezing past the blonde to kick off her foam sandals beside her shoes on the mat.

"I went to the playground." She hated lying, but Cedric was standing in the doorway, his intense stare sending a new wave of shivers down her spine. If he was so certain that their sleeping arrangements would cause some sort of trouble, then she would do her best to keep the secret, if only for his peace of mind.

"The playground? You've been out for hours!" Amber examined her in disbelief, but Sofia had the benefit of being the 'good girl', the type who didn't possess a dishonest bone in her entire body, so eventually the blonde sighed, shaking her head in defeat.

"Come on, James wants to treat everyone to breakfast." Amber stopped, looking over her shoulder to the doorway behind her, her long hair flipping behind her as she did. "That means you, Cedric. Let's go."

Cedric groaned, hoisting himself away from the door frame with exaggerated effort before joining them to retrieve his own shoes. Sofia looked him over in astonishment, scarcely able to believe he wasn't making more of a fuss.

"Where are we going?" She asked as they headed out the door, the girls going ahead down the steps while Cedric locked up.

"Vinny's. James is already there." Amber informed her, checking to make sure Cedric had caught up.

"Pizza for breakfast?" Sofia giggled at the prospect, practically skipping down the sidewalk now in her excitement. Usually breakfast just meant pop-tarts or cereal, things that kept well in a cupboard and required little effort to make. On school mornings the meal was almost always skipped completely because Cedric was impossible to get up on time.

...

Vinny's was a vintage style pizzeria, with widows into the kitchen so you could watch your meal be handmade from scratch, and small, round metal tables with colourful formica tops. Sofia had fond memories of eating here occasionally as a family before Cordelia had struck out on her own.

The smell of delicious Italian food and the small chime of a bell greeted them as they passed through the door, and Sofia made a beeline for the windows, trusting Cedric to order for her. It was fascinating, the way the dark-haired men in the kitchen spun and flipped the large sheets of dough until they somehow formed the perfect shape, and she felt like she could stand there and watch it all day.

"It's neat, right?" James voiced her thoughts, standing beside her. She nodded distractedly.

"I wish I could do that." Sofia mused without looking away. "It looks like so much fun." She had the odd sensation that James was watching her instead of the kitchen, but when she glanced over, he turned his head.

"Hey, Sofia... Over the summer, Cedric said something kind of strange to me." James practically whispered, loud enough for only her to hear.

"What's that?" He had her full concentration now, and she spun to face him as she pressed for details.

"It's, uh, not important. I don't even remember exactly what it was, but it made me wonder," He paused, taking a deep breath as he looked her over. "Are you still in love with your brother?"

Sofia let out a sigh of relief. She didn't know what to expect with that nervous lead up, but this was an easy question to answer.

"Of course I am." She answered with a grin. "Oh, but don't say anything, please. I don't want him to push me away again." She was quick to add, hoping she could trust him with her secret.

"I won't, but I don't think he-" He stopped short, turning his attention to a spot above her shoulder, and a hand on the crook of Sofia's elbow explained this abrupt pause.

"Come on, your weird pizza's ready." Cedric tugged her towards one of the larger tables, his crooked smile demonstrating that he was only teasing about her favourite toppings.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note:** So as far as dialogue goes, this is kind of a quiet chapter. But they both had a lot on their mind, so I suppose that makes sense. Sorry it took so long, I really struggled to get started this time, but once I did it just wrote itself. Muses are weird like that. Because I felt bad for the delay, I kind of rushed to get this one out as soon as it was finished, so if you catch any errors, I'm sorry and I won't be offended if you let me know.

* * *

Cedric watched Sofia tuck into her pineapple pizza eagerly as he picked at his own sausage one, lacking anything even slightly resembling an appetite. Not only was he desperately trying to figure out a way to tell her he planned on asking out Cleo on Monday, but he was disconcerted with her hushed conversation with James. The one that ended with suspicious abruptness the instant his cousin spotted him standing within earshot, effectively preventing him from overhearing anything useful.

Was James in on Amber's blackmailing plot? Or perhaps he was the one orchestrating the whole thing. If so, if he approached Sofia with a similar threat, what would he have asked her to do? More importantly, would she cooperate or allow them to tell their parents? Would she stubbornly undo anything Cedric tried to accomplish by following Amber's commands?

His eyes swept over his twin's pretty features, not to admire her, but to assess her mood. If James had said something to upset her, there should be an indication of it, and he was relieved to find nothing of the sort. Instead, she wore a carefree grin between ravenous bites. A grin that drew his eyes to her perfectly shaped peach lips, lips that he'd kissed three times now, but doubted he'd ever be allowed to again.

Needing to touch her, feeling as though he'd come completely undone without some scrap of contact, he brushed the back of his hand against hers beneath the surface of the vintage table, and her smile deepened, reaching all the way up to her eyes, which she turned to him, showering him with admiration. Emboldened by her silent reaction, he weaved his fingers between hers, wishing he could somehow freeze this moment and live in it forever.

This moment, where they ate pizza and secretly held hands, where she didn't yet hate his guts. The moment before he lost her for good, though truthfully he could never have had her anyways. He didn't want it to end. He wanted to scream, to rage against what was to come, to protect that oblivious happiness and the overwhelming innocence she possessed with everything in him.

"Since Amber and I got our allowances, I was thinking we could go to the arcade after this." Cedric was barely aware that the blonde boy had spoken, his eyes still firmly set on Sofia instead of paying attention to the conversation. She nodded enthusiastically, trying to clear a mouthful of pizza so she could speak.

"That sounds great." She answered as soon as she could do so, and Cedric suppressed the urge to groan.

He didn't want to go to the arcade, he wanted to take her home, alone, to tell her that he loved her, really loved her, and he was sorry for everything that was about to happen. He wanted to spend the rest of their last weekend together the way they'd been this morning, only without Amber's interference this time. At the same time, it seemed more appropriate to hold her at arms length, to distance himself now in an attempt to hamper the devastation that Monday would bring.

"Cedric?" James switched his focus to him, and he had no other option than to nod his approval dumbly. "Good, then it's settled. Sofia, can you help me get more sodas?" Cedric tightened his grip, trying to keep her there, but her fingers slipped from his grasp, and just like that the moment that he wanted so badly to preserve melted away to nothing more than a bittersweet memory as he watched her and James collect the red plastic cups and march over to the soda machine.

...

Sofia was aware of Cedric's intense stare on her back. She could picture his dark probing eyes, though she tried to shake the image away and pay attention to the game. She loved the arcade, but had to admit to being less adept at video games than the rest of their little group, especially her brother. As the screen flashed 'Game Over', his footsteps approached her from behind, but he didn't say anything to her. In fact, she mused, he'd been unusually quiet ever since they left the house that morning.

She glanced at him over her shoulder before slipping another quarter into the machine. The screen in front of her switched to the logo for House of the Dead 5, and she adjusted her stance, pointing the gun toward the machine in anticipation.

"You're too tense." He hissed into her ear as he pressed against her back, his arms wrapping around her and his hands covering hers. She wondered how he could possibly expect her to relax with him holding her so intimately. "If you're tight like this, it lowers your reaction time." She swallowed hard, her mind no longer on the game at all, and somehow she managed to nod.

"Aren't you worried about-" He rested his chin on her shoulder to get a better view of the carnage on the screen, and she suppressed a shiver of delight as his breath tickled the delicate flesh of her neck, losing track of what she was saying.

"They're playing Angry Birds. Way on the other side." He whispered, answering her abandoned question. "Shit, Sofia, shoot that guy!" She renewed her interest in the game, if only to maintain the excuse that he was helping her with it.

"There's another gun, you know..." She offered, because it was the appropriate thing to do, even though she wanted him to stay right where he was.

"Nah, I'm out of quarters." They played in silence for a while before he spoke again.

"Sofia... Would you run away with me if I asked?" She spun in his arms, studying him in shock, and behind her the game shouted that she had lost again, but it didn't matter. It didn't matter because his eyes were pleading with her to say yes, and because his hands had moved to her hips, and her heart had jumped all the way up into her throat, preventing her from giving a response other than the strangled squeak that forced it's way out.

"Calm down, I was only curious." But she couldn't calm down, because there was a razor sharp edge to his statement that both frightened and intrigued her. He let go of her and shoved his hands deep in his pockets. "I'm gonna go trade in my tickets." He informed her before storming off toward the back of the arcade.

She leaned against the game and squeezed her eyes shut, willing her pulse to slow and trying to decipher his odd behavior.

...

Amber snored gently, the weight of her arm draped across Sofia's waist providing a warm comfort, but not quite what she needed to get to sleep. She knew what he said about them getting caught, about the risk she was taking by sneaking to his room at night, but Sofia was having trouble caring. Besides, even if James or Amber found out she was in his bed, she doubted they would care. The four of them had always been closely knit, a team. They were more than just family, they were best friends.

She turned her face to peek over at the blonde, trying to latch on to hazy memories from somewhere long past. An important adventure with both her and Cedric, one that brought the three of them closer together. The details remained elusive no matter how she tried, but the feelings remained, the elation she felt over two of her favourite people growing beyond a strange dynamic where they egged each other into making mischief and actually began to enjoy each other's company, even if they didn't often seek it out without prompting from her. Amber, Cedric, James... These were her most important people. She appreciated some of Cedric's concerns, but wouldn't it be easier to just be honest with the few people they could trust to understand them?

"Amber..." She hissed, but her cousin only snuggled closer. A sigh of discontentment escaped Sofia's lips as she carefully rolled to reach for her cell phone on the nightstand. Shielding the screen to avoid disturbing Amber with the light, she reread Cedric's text - the one that insisted she sleep in her own bed tonight to avoid a repeat of this morning. _'Would you run away with me...?'_ There were so many glaringly obvious reasons why the only proper answer was no, so why did she regret not agreeing to the strange request?

Deciding against heeding his text, she gently lifted Amber's arm and slid out from beneath it, then snuck to Cedric's room in much the same fashion as the night before.

She found him sitting up in his bed, his laptop beside him on the mattress and the white string of his earbuds leading from it to his ears. Even in this dim light, his eyes appeared to gleam as he trained them on her. He tugged the tiny speakers out and held up a finger to this lips, then pointed to James on the floor, and she nodded as she crept past.

"I told you to stay in bed." If he dared to speak any louder, she was certain it would have come out as a low growl, but she stuck her tongue out defiantly as she clambered up to his side.

"I wanted to ask you, first. Earlier, at the arcade... Why did you say that?" He shrugged, tipping his chin to avoid her.

"It was just a thought. Don't worry so much about it." He mumbled, moving the laptop to the nightstand so he could fall back onto the bed.

"I am worried." She pressed, following suit and turning onto her side to curl up next to him. "I'm worried that if I said no, you might go without me."

He spun fast, his fingers catching under her jaw so he could lift her face to his. "Never. If you believe that, then you really don't get me at all."

He was so close, and for a second she thought he might kiss her again. No, she wanted him to kiss her again, and her tongue darted out to wet her parched lips in anticipation, but he let go, shifting away from her. Frowning over at him, she thought over the times their lips had met. They'd both been initiated by him, so perhaps if she... Tired of over thinking everything when it came to them, she climbed into his lap, dropping her face down until their lips met. His hands flailed out at first, but eventually came to rest on the small of her back.

"If you asked me... Really, honestly asked me," She began breathlessly when they parted. "I would go _anywhere_ as long as it was with you."

"No, you wouldn't." He murmured as she tried to kiss him again, deftly flipping them over so he was on top of her, his knees pressed between her thighs and his hands resting on either side of her head to keep himself propped up above her. "There's no way you'd leave everyone else behind, and I'd be an asshole for trying to make you. But thanks for saying it." He claimed her lips with a possessiveness that was disarming, quelling any attempt she might have made to counter his words. She carded her fingers through his shaggy hair, wishing it was possible to draw him even closer, but he was already pressed as tightly as he could be against her mouth.

He yanked back suddenly, and his eyes flashed with something foreign and dangerous. She knew that look, though he'd never shown it to her in this lifetime, and it made her heart flutter wildly in her chest as she pondered whether it would be okay to encourage the destruction that expression promised, if only for this one moment. "Go back to bed, Sofia."


End file.
